Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: November 26, 2023
By: Laura Deni
CLICK HERE FOR COMMENT SECTION

PURPLE MOON SHINES LIGHT ON FEDERICO GRACIA LORCA, SPANISH POET AND PLAYWRIGHT

Backed by the gorgeous original music of world renowned guitarist Esteban Antonio, the sounds of a firing squad opens Purple Moon.

Purple Moon is based on the life of Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca. BAFTA nominated Avi Nassa the artisic director of Whispering Eyes Theatre Co. portrays Garcia Lorca and all other voices played by Andrew Wood. An exquisite script and powerful acting throw dramatic light upon the intense and shocking life of perhaps Spain’s greatest modern poet, Federico Garcia Lorca. At first, for America ears, the heavily Spanish accented actor might be difficult to understand. Soon, the senses adjust and the carefully crafted dialogue is heard and understood.

The firing squad stops. The executions for that night have ended.

Purple Moon celebrates the genius that Garcia Lorca was, 76 years after his assassination by Franco’s facist regime. Avi Nassa wrote Purple Moon because he felt that not enough people know the truth behind Lorca’s work and shocking death, especially new generations. Avi Nassa brings a fresh new approach to Lorca’s work and character. During his research, Nassa was helped with information supplied in the book Lorca Assasination by Ian Gibson – and publicity thanks Gibson for his "fantastic research." He also thanks Saul Reichlin for his "invaluable assistance in developing Purple Moon.

Federico Garcia Lorca, Spanish poet and playwright resurrected and revitalized Spanish poetry and theater. Garcia Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27, a group consisting mostly of poets who introduced the tenets of European movements (such as symbolism, futurism, and surrealism) into Spanish literature.

Influenced by: Salvador Dalí, Lope de Vega, and Luis Buñuel, Garcia Lorca initially rose to fame with Romancero gitano (Gypsy Ballads, 1928), a book of poems depicting life in his native Andalusia. His poetry incorporated traditional Andalusian motifs and avant-garde styles. He quips that he "hates to be typecast" and heads for New York on the RMS Olympic, a sister liner to the RMS Titanic. He remained in New York from 1929 to 1930 returning to Spain where he wrote his best-known plays, Blood Wedding (1932), Yerma (1934), and The House of Bernarda Alba (1936).

Authorities objected to his poetry.

Garcia Lorca was homosexual and suffered from depression after the end of his relationship with sculptor Emilio Aladrén Perojo. Garcia Lorca also had a close emotional relationship for a time with Salvador Dalí, who said he rejected Garcia Lorca's sexual advances.

He was assassinated by Nationalist forces on August 19, 1936 at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. His remains have never been found.

The motive for his assignation remains debatable. Some theorize he was targeted for being gay, a socialist, or both, while others proffer a personal dispute as the more likely reason.

In Purple Moon Garcia Lorca has been arrested, accused of spying for the Soviet Union.

Garcia Lorca poetically explains what transpired.

Political and social tensions had greatly intensified after the murder of prominent monarchist and anti-Popular Front spokesman José Calvo Sotelo by Republican Assault Guards (Guardias de asalto). García Lorca knew that he would be suspect to the rising right-wing for his outspoken socialist views. Granada was so tumultuous that it had not had a mayor for months; no one dared accept the job. When García Lorca's brother-in-law, Manuel Fernández-Montesinos, agreed to accept the position, he was assassinated within a week. On August 19, 1936 his brother-in-law was placed against a wall and shot along with 29 others. On that same day García Lorca was arrested. He calls his mother beloved and stresses how he adored his sister Isabel García Lorca. He says that it was in Madrid where he spent he happiest years of his life.

The reading of poetry is easily understood and moving.

Then I realized I had been murdered.
They looked for me in cafes, cemeteries and churches
.... but they did not find me.
They never found me?
No. They never found me.
From The Fable And Round of the Three Friends, Poet in New York (1929), García Lorca.

Federico Garcia Lorca. Photo: Poetry Foundation

Throughout his adolescence, he felt a deeper affinity for music than for literature. When he was 11 years old, he began six years of piano lessons with Antonio Segura Mesa, a harmony teacher in the local conservatory and a composer.

His first artistic inspirations arose from scores by Claude Debussy, Frédéric Chopin and Ludwig van Beethoven. Later, with his friendship with composer Manuel de Falla, Spanish folklore became his muse. García Lorca did not turn to writing until Segura's death in 1916, and his first prose works, such as Nocturne; Ballade, and Sonata, drew on musical forms.

"Perhaps I wouldn't have been shot if I had been a musician. Facists don't understand music - only marches," theorizes Garcia Lorca in Purple Moon.

He recalls "a strong, spicy smell of death in the air." He refers to the event as his "Happy Death Day."

"No one will look into your eyes because you have died forever."

Executions were almost a shooting sport of humans.

The ending is abrupt - sounds of the firing squad.

With gold standard sound effects. Produced by the Wireless Theatre Company. Purple Moon is memorable and important.

PURLIE VICTORIOUS CONVERTS THE AUDIENCE

Satire stings.

In this revival of Purlie Victorious the sting speaks the truth as it did during its original Broadway production in 1961.

Tony Winner Leslie Odom Jr. has returned to Broadway in this new production of Kennedy Center honoree Ossie Davis' sassy comedy, assuming the role Davis himself created which cleverly jack hammers the absurdity of racism. Odom is merely sensational.

The same can be said for the entire cast of talented actors flawlessly directed by Kenny Leon. In addition to Leslie Odom, Jr. as Purlie Victorious Judson the production features Kara Young as Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins. Kara Young is a scene and show stealer. She can hold her own against - anyone. This is the role Davis wrote for Ruby Dee. Dee nailed it as does Young.

Also starring are: Billy Eugene Jones as Gitlow Judson; Jay O. Sanders as Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee; Heather Alicia Simms as Missy Judson; Vanessa Bell Calloway as Idella Landy; Noah Robbins as Charlie Cotchipee; Noah Pyzik as The Deputy; Bill Timoney as The Sheriff.

The Standbys, understudies and swing are: Donald Webber Jr., Melvin Abston, Willa Bost, Brandi Porte, Noah Pyzik, Bill Timoney.

This first ever revival is one of the treasured mountings which belongs in the "don't miss it" category. It's as right on today as it was then.

Purlie Victorious Judson returns to his rundown farmhouse, home to generations of Black sharecroppers in Georgia, with Lutibelle Gussie Mae Jenkins and a plan to win back his family inheritance from Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee, the racist plantation owner whose prized possession is his whip. He strongly believes that Black people only attend college to study classes in advanced cotton picking. He also has difficulty telling apart black women - after all they all look like.

Purlie is counting on Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee's narrow minded belief system to pull off his dream of buying back Big Bethel, the community’s church, so that he can preach freedom to the cotton pickers. Purlie shares his plan with his brother Gitlow Judson, the plantation's Deputy for the Coloreds and no-nonsense sister-in-law Missy Judson, who despite their initial skepticism agree to help. Later that afternoon, in the back office of the village commissary, Idella is tending to Charlie, Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee’s son, who got a black eye in a barroom brawl the previous night over his support of racial integration. Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee does not share or respect his son’s progressive values and arrives to punish Charlie. Charlie distracts his father by delivering the cotton and commissary reports. Every negro family is in debt, and Charlie challenges his father’s "cheating" ways. Ol’ Cap’n becomes agitated, and Charlie holds his ground; Ol’ Cap’n runs him off.

Purlie Victorious cast. Photo: Marc J. Franklin

The original mounting was groundbreaking in that it put to the forefront the issue of racism. Black churches bought blocks of tickets and bused their congregants to weekend performances. For their 100th performance, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. attended the production then went backstage and posed with the cast for pictures. Today, the show, while not groundbreaking, never-the-less sadly illuminates that the problems 60 plus years ago still exist today. The dialogue is rapid fire, hilarious, poignant and cuts a racial injustice swath like a machete.

In order for golden-tongue, fast talking Purlie to make his dream come true he needs to get his hands on the money inherited by his recently deceased cousin, Bee. Because Bee is no longer among the living and thus can't collect the $500, which is being held by Cotchipee, Purlie has devised a plan. He's going to enlisted the somewhat naive Lutiebelle to step into Bee’s high heels, nylons and properly pressed dresses. For Purlie’s scheme to pan out, he’s banking on Cotchipee’s rampant racism and inability to tell one Black woman from another. After all, as one character comments, "Some of the best pretending in the world is done in front of white people."

Set in the 1950s, this production illuminates the the deep-rooted history of American anti-Blackness better than any history course. A lesson in determination and optimism as the absurdity of racial injustice is cleverly slapped in the face of whites.

The creatives are: Set, Derek McLane; costumes, Emilio Sosa; lights, Adam Honoré; sound, Peter Fitzgerald; hair, wig and makeup, J. Jared Janas; fight director, Thomas Schall; production stage manager, Kamra A. Jacobs.; original music, Guy Davis who is the son of Davis and Dee.

Polk & Co.General Press Representative; Matt Polk Press Representative, Alana Karpoff Press Representative, Lilly Claar Press Representative, Chaliece Dillon Press Representative. Marc J. Franklin Production Photographer.

Right before Purlie begins at the Music Box Theatre, the pre recorded voice of director Leon requests that we "lean in". He explains that the play is built on both humor and rage and we need to consider both. Then he asks patrons to spread the word — if we like it, we should ’gram it, TikTok it, tell a friend! And if we don’t, we should keep our mouths shut.

Mouths shut? Whatsamattayou. People are buzzing.

The official website contains a Message From The Dee-Davis Family:"As the children of Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, we witnessed the birth of Purlie Victorious. The story we heard both from the stage and at home is a story that still needs to be told, and so we are very excited to hear the voices of Reverend Purlie, Lutiebelle and the citizens of Cotchipee County return to Broadway. We are especially proud to be a part of the continuation of this legacy, and welcome you into the family."
—Nora, Guy & Hasna.

E-Book

Soft back Book

Broadway To Vegas is supported through advertising and donations. Priority consideration is given to interview suggestions, news, press releases, etc from paid supporters. However, no paid supporters control, alter, edit, or in any way manipulate the content of this site. Your donation is appreciated. We accept PAYPAL.

Thank you for your interest.

E-Book

Soft back Book

This is not your typical, totally boring textbook.

In the pages of How To Earn A Living As A Freelance Writer (the first to be lied to and the last to be paid) you'll find sex, celebrities, violence, threats, unethical editors, scummy managers and lawyers, treacherous press agents, sex discrimination; as well as a how-to for earning money by writing down words.

ART AND ABOUT

ROMAN EMPEROR ELAGABALUS WAS TRANSGENDER

Elagabalus. Photo: Britannica

according to research resulting in the North Hertfordshire Museum reclassifying the person and using the pronouns she/her and referring to the ruler as "she" from now on.

The council run North Hertfordshire Museum in Hitchin, just north of London, will use the new set of pronouns to refer to Elagabalus, who was born and lived in Syria, with the institution citing Ancient Roman writings claiming that the ruler, who assumed the Roman throne at age 14, and reigned from 218 and 222 CE, before being assassinated at the age of 18, wore women’s clothing and said "call me not Lord, for I am a Lady," according to books on the history of Rome written by Cassisus Dio, a well-known Roman historian and administrator and was alive during Elagabalus’s reign.

The pronouns decision follows long-standing academic interest in the third century AD ruler's gender identity, with the museum consulting the LGBT charity Stonewall and the LGBT wing of the trade union Unison on how to display Elagabalus' artifacts.

The North Herfordshire Museum owns one coin featuring Elagabalus’s face. A spokesperson for the institution told the BBC that it is "only polite and respectful to be sensitive to identifying pronouns for people in the past."

That coin is now located in the Museum's LGBTQ+ collection.

Information on North Hertfordshire Museum policy states that pronouns used in displays will be those "the individual in question might have used themselves" or whatever pronoun "in retrospect, is appropriate".

Elagabalus is considered one of the most controversial Roman emperors.

Roman historian Cassius Dio wrote that Elagabalus had five wives, the last of whom was a man, and that she was "termed wife, mistress, and queen." The man in question was the charioteer and former slave Hierocles, and Elagabalus loved being referred to as Hierocles’ wife or mistress. The emperor is also reported to have frequently worn wigs and makeup, preferred to be called ‘domina’ (lady) over ‘dominus’ (lord), and even" offered vast sums of money to any physician who could give them a vagina," states an interview published in 2021 on the University of Birmingham website.

New guidance on trans-inclusive practice in UK museums and heritage sites was recently published by the University of Leicester’s Research Centre for Museums and Galleries (RCMG).

Before making international headlines with the Elagabalus reclassification the North Hertfordshire Museum was an under the radar venue noted for displaying collections relating to local history and heritage.

. The dog friendly museum has four galleries:
The Discovering North Hertfordshire Gallery, which deals with the history of the district from the geological past to the present day;
The Exhibition Gallery, with regularly changing exhibitions;
The Living in North Hertfordshire Gallery shows how local people’s lives have changed over thousands of years;
The Terrace Gallery houses a diverse collection, focusing mainly on people; The Arches, part of this gallery, has small temporary displays of art and heritage.

PETER FUNCH IN CONVERSATION WITH THOMAS BORBERG takes place at the Royal Danish Library on December 4,2023.

In Peter Funch's 42nd and Vanderbilt series, he has been photographing the same street corner in New York for several years. Subsequently, he went through this vast material to create series of multiple images of the same people taken at different times. The project makes us consider how surveillance traces our movements, habits and patterns in street spaces and how we are always watched. Although many are still skeptical about mass surveillance, it is – with algorithms and the sale of personal data – becoming more and more ubiquitous.

In this talk at The Royal Danish Library Peter Funch and his colleague, photographer Thomas Borberg, will discuss photography, the digital traces we leave and constant surveillance in cityscapes.

Peter Funch's work – as well as other works that incorporate the identification photograph – is included in the Royal Danish Library's permanent photo exhibition The Camera and Us, and after the event the exhibition will be open to the public.
The Camera and Us is Denmark's first permanent exhibition about the history of photography. It tells the story of human beings in photography from the years 1845-2021 through more than 250 photographs selected from Det Kgl. Bibliotek’s extensive collection of over 18 million photographs. From the daguerreotypists’ silver-coated metal plates in the 1840s to the 21st century image flow of news photos, fashion photos, mobile shots and not least photographic art selected from the National Collection of Photography’s works. For the past ten years, the camera has gone from mostly being a guest on special occasions to being a regular companion in all aspects of our everyday lives. Using our documented everyday life as basis, The Camera and Us’ asks what photography does to our perception of ourselves and our perceptions of each other. Eight thematic reflections open up the world of photography and show a wide range of photographic genres such as portrait photography, family albums, identification photography, pornographic photography, press photos and fashion photos.

Experience works by photographers such as Arvida Byström, Pia Arke, Peter Elfelt, Richard Avedon, Claude Cahun, Martin Parr, Thomas Ruff, Tove Kurzweil, Krass Clement, Nicolai Howalt, Fryd Frydendahl, Peter Funch and many more photographers from both Denmark and abroad.

THE LITTLE MUSEUM of Dublin, Ireland will be raising some festive cheer when they hold their exclusive Little Museum Christmas Party on December 6, 2023.

The Little Museum of Dublin is a registered charity. Founded in 2011, their mission is to create a world-class museum experience that personifies the history, humor and hospitality of Dublin. Visitors can explore those through exhibitions and tours.

E-Book

Soft back Book

SWEET CHARITY

THE COMEDY WILDLIFE PHOTO AWARDS

Air Guitar Roo by Jason Moor. Photo: Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards

founded in 2015 by professional photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam, have announced their 2023 winners.

From 5,300 entries submitted from 85 countries, the judges selected:

Overall winner and Creatures of the Land winner: Jason Moore for Air Guitar Roo A picture of a female western grey kangaroo, titled "Air Guitar Roo," taken by Moore, in an open air wildflower field in the suburbs of Perth, Australia.

Jacek Stankiewicz's photograph of one greenfinch being told off by another titled "Dispute" won the Junior Award as well as the Affinity Photo People’s Choice Award, which is voted for by the public. It's the first time the award has been won by a junior entrant.

Dispute by Jacek Stankiewicz. Photo: Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards

The Underwater category winner was a picture of a ballerina-esque otter, taken by the appropriately named Singaporean photographer Otter Kwek.

Vittorio Ricci won the Creatures of the Air Award for a photo of a striated heron falling out of the sky and into the water.

Timea Ambrus won the Portfolio Award with a collection of four images that show a ground squirrel looking like he’s trying to fly.

The Video Award went to Lily Bernau for her film about a penguin seemingly refusing to go into the sea.

In addition to the category winners, 10 entries were highly commended.

The UK based awards also promotes wildlife conservation and calling attention to the threats faced by wildlife. This year’s competition supports Whitley Fund for Nature, a UK charity that helps fund conservationists around the world. Now in its 30th year, it has helped raise £20 million for more than 200 conservationists in 80 countries.

THE EN GARDE ARTS 2023 GALA takes place December 13, 2023 in Brooklyn, New York honoring businessman and philanthropist Bill Martin and celebrated actress and social justice warrior Jessica Hecht.

Funds raised will be used to keep supporting artists that work at the intersection of theatre and social change.

SPREADING THE WORD

KATE, THE PRINCESS OF WALES

Princess Kate's third annual Carol Service takes place December 8, 2023. Photo: Kensington Palace.

will host her third annual Christmas Carol Service at Westminster Abbey on December 8, 2023.

Kensington Palace announced that "this year, the service will be a moment to thank all those who work to support babies, young children and families in our communities across the UK and a celebration of the golden opportunity that the birth of a new baby brings."

Invited to the Abbey for the event will be "individuals and families from all corners of the UK, including midwives, health visitors, early years practitioners, nursery teachers and community volunteers."

This year, the carol service will combine "traditional and modern elements to encompass people of all faiths and none." During the event, the Westminster Abbey choir will perform, along with musicians including Beverley Knight, Adam Lambert, Jacob Collier, Freya Ridings, and James Bay.

In a statement, the Royal Foundation shared that the service would be connected to Kate’s Centre for Early Childhood campaign, Shaping Us. The awareness drive, which was launched last January with a short film and a slate of star-studded ambassadors, aims to educate the general public about the importance of early childhood education and brain development for children under five.

“This year, the service will be a moment to thank all those who work to support babies, young children and families in our communities across the UK and a celebration of the golden opportunity that the birth of a new baby brings,” the foundation said. “The service will showcase the hope of new life and why it is so important to build supportive, nurturing worlds around children and the adults in their lives. We know that the foundations we lay in early childhood shape the rest of our lives and the adults we become.” The foundation added that 12 more carol services will take place concurrently across the UK on December 8.

When Kate first hosted the service in 2021, she showed off newly acquired skill of playing the piano. That concert was dedicated to those who "have stepped up to support their communities through the pandemic."

Last year's Christmas carol service was dedicated to Queen Elizabeth.

The royal family has been a staunch supporter of Kate's Carol Service. Last year, Kate was joined by her husband Prince William and their two oldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, along with King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi attended as did Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank. Sophie, Countess of Wessex - now the Duchess of Edinburgh- wore white. Lady Gabriella Windsor, the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, appeared in red. In the holiday spirit was Lord Frederick Windsor and his wife Sophie Winkleman. Dressed in Christmas green was Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester. Queen Elizabeth's first cousin, Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, attended. The 87-year-old Duke of Kent even showed up, using a walking cane in public for the first time. Zara and Mike Tindall held hands for most of the service. Kate's family also arrived in support of Kate. Enjoying the evening were parents Michael and Carole Middleton, and her siblings Pippa Middleton and James Middleton.

Like previous years, the event this year will be filmed, and air as part of a special program on ITV1 and ITVX on Christmas Eve.

NOW MUST WE SING: CELEBRATING W. B. YEATS takes place on the Abbey stage in Dublin, Ireland on November 26, 2023.

A landmark event marking 100 years since WB Yeats was awarded the 1923 Nobel Prize in Literature.

The Abbey Theatre and Yeats Society Sligo will present an evening of celebration marking the centenary of poet, playwright and Abbey Theatre co-founder WB Yeats being awarded the 1923 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Some of Ireland’s finest poets, writers, actors, and musicians will come together to perform and pay tribute to his legacy, led by Abbey Theatre Artistic Director Caitríona McLaughlin, and Yeats Society Sligo Director Susan O’Keeffe.

WB Yeats’ work was recognized by the Nobel Academy "for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation."

The Nobel Prize in Literature was rooted in the Irish Literary Revival, which played a key role in the birth of the Irish nation. WB Yeats, together with Augusta Gregory and George Moore, led this cultural revolution, at the most turbulent time in Irish history. Its most significant legacy was the establishment of Ireland’s national theatre in 1904, the Abbey Theatre in Dublin.

Yeats dedicated his Nobel acceptance speech to the importance of the Irish Dramatic Movement, which he led. However, he is one of the few writers whose greatest works were written after the Prize was awarded. During the last 20 years of his life, he reverted increasingly to poetry, and he became one of the outstanding and most influential twentieth-century poets.

AUDRA McDONALD IN CONCERT in Thursday, November 30, 2023 at Campbell Hall, University of California, Santa Barbara.

The winner of a record-breaking six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards and an Emmy, Audra McDonald is as stunningly eloquent in song as she is acting a role. She’s been named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people and received a National Medal of Arts for "her rich, soulful voice [that] continues to take her audiences to new heights." Enjoy an intimate evening with a national treasure as McDonald performs works from Broadway, the Great American Songbook and beyond.

CHRISTMAS TIME IN THE CITY a holiday concert celebrating the magic that lights up the city at Christmas. Using the backdrop of the beautiful, historic St. Paul's church, the evening features new, Broadway-style arrangements of beloved Christmas music performed by Broadway stars, a 25-piece orchestra, and a 70-voice, cross-borough community chorus. The concert takes place Thursday, December 7, 2023, at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, New York City.

The cast of singers includes Broadway favorites George Abud, Mikaela Bennett, Klea Blackhurst, Kerry Butler, David Damane, Jason Danieley, Nikki Renee Daniels, Christine Ebersole, Jason Gotay, Dorcas Leung, Benjamin Pajak, and Max von Essen.

The concert is produced by Joey Chancey who also serves as musical director. Jack Cummings III directs; Hannah Oren is creative producer.

BAFTA LECTURES A Life In Pictures: Penélope Cruz. Hear from the BAFTA-winning actor as she shares insights from her long-standing and prolific career, with credits including All About My Mother (1999) Volver (2006), Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), Parallel Mothers (2021) and Ferrari (2023). That takes place Monday, December 4, 2023.

The next evening, December 5, 2023, it's David Lean Lecture: Shane Meadows. BAFTA-winning director and screenwriter Shane Meadows (Dead Man's Shoes, This is England, The Virtues) will deliver the prestigious 2023 David Lean Lecture. Both events take place at BAFTA in London.

THEATRICUM BOTANICUM'S 3RD ANNUAL FAMILY FAIRE at its spectacular outdoor venue in Topanga, CA where carolers, singing madrigals and other performers roam the grounds, Theatricum company members tell winter holiday stories from a variety of traditions. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be available to take family photos. An artisan marketplace will offer holiday gifts and crafts, and festive food and drink will be available for purchase. Caroling with Theatricum company members and a special outdoor screening of The Muppet Christmas Carol will begin immediately after the Faire. December 9, 2023.

NEXT TO NORMAL will transfer to the Wyndham's Theatre in the West End from June 16, 2024.

Next to normal is an intimate exploration of family and loss. At its heart is Diana Goodman, a suburban wife and mother living with bipolar disorder and haunted by her past. Donmar Artistic Director Michael Longhurst directs this powerful musical about a far from average family.

With music by Tom Kitt and book & lyrics by Brian Yorkey, Next To Normal is the winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and three Tony Awards including Best Original Score.

The creative team includes Musical Supervisor Nigel Lilley; Designer Chloe Lamford; Movement, Choreography, and Additional Direction Ann Yee; Lighting Designer Lee Curran; Sound Designer Tony Gayle; Video Designer Tal Rosner; Casting Director Anna Cooper CDG and Musical Director Nick Barstow.

PASADENA PLAYHOUSE HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR a new Playhouse tradition co-created by Head Over Heels co-director Sam Pinkleton and Randy Blair.

MaryAnn Hu, Lesli Margherita, George Salazar, and Jason Michael Snow have been announced as the stars.

The Holiday Spectacular runs December 14 - December 23, 2023 at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, CA.

THE TOP 5 MOST INFLUENTIAL NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE (NHL) PLAYERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA according to Sporting Pedia.

Alexander Ovechkin, nicknamed “Ovi,” is a Russian ice hockey legend and captain of the Washington Capitals in the NHL. Known for his remarkable goal-scoring prowess, Ovechkin has consistently been one of the league’s top players. He’s a seven-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner and one of the greatest goal-scorers in NHL history.

Off the ice, Ovi’s charismatic personality and active social media presence have made him a fan favorite. Ovechkin’s impact on and off the ice cements his status as a hockey icon; he tops the list of the most influential NHL Players on Social Media, with a combined following of 4,211,535 followers across Instagram and X (Twitter).

In second place is Evgeni Malkin. Evgeni Malkin is a star center for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL. Renowned for his exceptional playmaking abilities and scoring prowess, Malkin has played a pivotal role in the Penguins’ success, earning multiple awards, including the Hart Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy.

Connor McDavid, often called the “Next One,” is a Canadian hockey sensation and captain of the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL.

Auston Matthews, a star center for the Toronto Maple Leafs, is a dynamic American talent in the NHL. Known for his prolific goal-scoring ability, Matthews has consistently been among the league’s top players and has even won the Rocket Richard Trophy.

David Pastrnak, the Czech sensation, is a dynamic forward for the Boston Bruins in the NHL. Renowned for his extraordinary scoring ability and innate ‘hockey sense’, which earned him the nickname “pasta wizard”, Pastrnak has consistently been among the league’s top players. A winner of the Rocket Richard Trophy, his goal-scoring prowess is unmatched.

E-Book

Soft back Book

THEATRE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP (TCG) the national organization for theatre, has announced Harold Steward, the executive director of the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), as chair of the TCG board. Steward succeeds Nikkole Salter, who served as the TCG board chair from July 2020 through July 2023. Steward is joined by vice chairs John Fontillas, planner, architect, partner, H3, New York, NY; Hana S. Sharif, artistic director, Arena Stage, Washington, DC; and Merrique Jenson, director of SocialScope Productions, Director of Transformations Youth Organization, Kansas City, MO. Jensen succeeds Eileen J. Morris as vice chair. TCG’s slate of board officers also includes treasurer Angela Lee Gieras, executive director, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Kansas City, MO; and secretary Cynthia Fuhrman, vice president, executive search, Tom O’Connor, Consulting Group, Portland, OR. Furhman succeeds Lisa Portes as secretary.

DANCE/NYC recently honored leading artists and patrons of the dance field to commemorate Dance/NYC’s eleventh year of service and advocacy at New Yorkers for Dance. The evening celebrated the unsung leaders and advocates of NYC dance who support the art form and shape a more equitable ecosystem where dance and dance workers can thrive. The night recognized Duke Dang as the recipient of the second Dance Advocate Award and Linda Murray for the inaugural Dance Catalyst Award and included a special performance by Dance/NYC’s Dance Advancement Fund grantee, the J Chen Project.

Born at a UN refugee camp, Duke Dang immigrated to California growing up with Section 8 vouchers, food stamps, welfare, and attending Head Start. An inaugural Gates Millennium Scholar, he earned his bachelor’s degree in art history at Boston University and master’s degree in performing arts administration at NYU. He started at Works & Process as a paid intern in 2003 and has served as General Manager and now Executive Director. During his tenure, the organization’s budget has tripled, and a board designated endowment fund and cash reserve were created. Championing creative process from studio-to-stage, Works & Process LaunchPAD, with a network of residency partners spanning eight counties in New York and Massachusetts, provides sequenced and made-to-measure residencies with industry leading fees, transportation, health insurance enrollment access, 24/7 studio availability, and on-site housing, that culminate in public sharings with local communities. LaunchPAD projects are regularly presented as part of Works & Process programs at the Guggenheim, Lincoln Center, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, SummerStage, and Manhattan West. Works & Process commissions have been selected "Best of" by The New York Times and honored with a Bessie Award. Works & Process was nominated in 2021 and 2022 with the APAP William Dawson Award for Programmatic Excellence and Sustained Achievement in Programming and honored with the 2021 Dance Magazine Chairman’s Award. Early in the pandemic Works & Process pioneered and produced the field’s first bubble residencies, where artists could safely gather to create and perform together paving the way to reopening indoor and outdoor performances.

Linda Murray is the Associate Director of Collections and Research for the Library for the Performing Arts and is the Curator of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division of the New York Public Library, the world’s largest dance archive. She has a wide range of experience in the international arts and dance communities. Her work as Executive and Artistic Director of Solas Nua in Washington, DC earned the company multiple Helen Hayes nominations and the DC Mayor’s Art Award for Innovation in the Arts in 2011. In 2010 The Irish Voice named her one of the 50 most influential Irish women working in the U.S. and she received an award from the Irish government for her contributions to Irish culture.



POTTED PANTO written by Daniel Clarkson, Jefferson Turner and Richard Hurst Directed by Richard Hurst.

The West End’s longest running pantomime. Wilton’s Music Hall welcomes Olivier Award nominated festive celebration Potted Panto, featuring seven classic pantomimes in 80 hilarious minutes.

In a madcap ride through the biggest stories and best-loved characters from the wonderful world of pantomime, our dastardly double act dash from rubbing Aladdin's lamp to roaming the golden streets of Dick Whittington's London and making sure that Cinderella gets to the Ball. It's all unmissable fun, whether you're six or 106.

The creatives are: Designed by Simon Scullion. Costume by Nicky Bunch. Lighting by Tim Mascall. Sound by Tom Lishman. Music by Phil Innes.

Potted Panto November 29 - December 30, 2023 at Wilton Music Hall in London.

THE ENORMOUS CROCODILE developed from the Roald Dahl book by Emily Lim with genre-busting music by award-winning Sudanese-American recording artist Ahmed Abdullahi Gallab and a rib-tickling book and lyrics by screen and stage-writer Suhayla El-Bushra, with additional music, lyrics, orchestrations, arrangements and music supervision by Tom Brady.

Directed by Emily Lim.

Elliotte Williams-N'Dure will star as the hungry Crocodile searching for a delicious child to snap up for dinner, alongside Charis Alexandra as Trunky the Elephant, Lawrence Hodgson-Mullings as Humpy Rumpy the Hippopotamus, Philippa Hogg as the Roly Poly Bird, and Robyn Sinclair as Muggle Wump the Monkey.

The production will feature a menagerie of mischievous puppets by co-director and puppetry designer Toby Olié, set and costume design by Tony and Olivier Award nominated Fly Davis, choreography by Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu, lighting by Jessica Hung Han Yun, sound by Tom Gibbons, musical direction by Màth Roberts, and casting by Bryony Jarvis-Taylor.

The cast of twenty puppets has taken a team of 11 puppet-makers over three months to create.

The Roald Dahl Story Company, Leeds Playhouse and Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre present their "snap-tastic musical extravaganza," The Enormous Crocodile, which plays at Leeds Playhouse in London from December 2, 2023 - January 6, 2024. It will play at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in summer 2024.

PACIFIC OVERTURES music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by John Weidman.

Directed by Matthew White.

One of Stephen Sondheim’s most ambitious, rarely seen creations comes to the Chocolate Factory in a co-production with Umeda Arts Theater in Japan, where it has already been a huge success in Tokyo and Osaka. The story of the arrival of the West in 1853 after 200 years of stability, as Japan faces an American expedition determined to open the “floating kingdom” to trade. Isolated Japan is seen from a western perspective but played in an eastern style. The score is filled with some of Sondheim’s most ravishing music, including Someone in a Tree; Pretty Lady and ‘A Bowler Hat.

Featuring: Jon Chew as the Reciter, Kanako Nakano as Tamate, Saori Oda as Shogun/Madam, Takuro Ohno as Kayama, and Joaquin Pedro Valdes as Manjiro, with Luoran Ding, Masashi Fujimoto, Rachel Hayne Picar, Eu Jin Hwang, Abel Law, Ethan Le Phong, JoJo Meredith, Patrick Munday, Sario Solomon, Joy Tan, Lee V G, and Iverson Yabut.

The creatives are: Set Design Paul Farnsworth, Costume Design Ayako Maeda, Lighting Design Paul Pyant, Sound Design Gregory Clarke, Choreography Ashley Nottingham, Musical Supervision Catherine Jayes, Musical Direction Paul Bogaev Orchestrations Jonathan Tunick, Hair and Make Up Design Wakana Yoshihara, Video Design Leo Flint, Traditional Japanese Movement and Cultural Consultant You-Ri Yamanaka.

Pacific Overtures completes the Menier’s trilogy of Sonheim/Weidman musicals following their critically acclaimed productions of Assassins and Road Show.

Performances through February 24, 2024 at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London.

MADWOMEN OF THE WEST a new comedy by Sandra Tsing Loh.

Directed by Thomas Caruso.

Featuring Caroline Aaron, Brooke Adams, Marilu Henner, and Melanie Mayron.

"Welcome to Jules' stunning Brentwood mansion, where hangry (she's sugar-cleansing) Marilyn is throwing a surprise birthday brunch for Claudia, who hates birthdays. Champagne corks pop — and tempers flare — when their long-estranged celebrity friend Zoey crashes the party, fresh from her TED Talks. Expect hilarity, outrageous opinions, and unexpected wisdom about what it means to be a woman (no matter what pronouns you use) in the 21st century."

Performances at The Actors Temple Theatre in New York City to December 31, 2023. Opening Night is set for Monday, December 4.

AN AXEMAS STORY Written by Charlie O'Leary, Anthony De Angelis, and Patrick K. Spencer.

Directed by Mackenna Goodrick.

"A holiday-themed take on 80s slasher films. It’s Christmas time in Tree Town and all the Trees are dying to look their best. After a few classmates begin to disappear, Small Paul (the puniest tree in Tree Town) and Noel (the mayor's daughter) begin to question Tree Town’s relationship with the venerated Farmer Todd — who has been acting particularly strange as of late. Will this unlikely duo crack the case before the annual Christmas Pageant? Or will the Trees of Tree Town discover the true meaning of axemas this year. An Axemas Story is a sappy send-up of capitalism, Christmas shows, 80s tropes, and the religious right - but mostly, it's a very silly show with a lot of tree puns."

The production stars Charissa Bertels, Alex Canty, RJ Christian, Cat Greenfield, John Alejandro Jeffords, Isabel Julazadeh, Lucy Rossi, Brandon Roth, Brooke Searcy, Atticus Shaindlin, and Chris Trombetta.

The production features scenic/props design by Lauren Barber, costume design by Stephanie Fisher, and lighting design by Jacqueline Scaletta. Publicity by Katie Rosin/Kampfire PR.

An Axeman Story will play a three-week limited engagement at Off-Broadway’s The Players Theatre, New York. Performances begin Thursday, November 30 and continue through Sunday, December 17. Opening Night is Thursday, November 30.

E-Book

Soft back Book

This is not your typical, totally boring textbook.

In the pages of How To Earn A Living As A Freelance Writer (the first to be lied to and the last to be paid) you'll find sex, celebrities, violence, threats, unethical editors, scummy managers and lawyers, treacherous press agents, sex discrimination; as well as a how-to for earning money by writing down words.

Next Column: December 3, 2023
Copyright: November 26, 2023 All Rights Reserved. Reviews, Interviews, Commentary, Photographs or Graphics from any Broadway To Vegas (TM) columns may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, utilized as leads, or used in any manner without permission, compensation and/or credit.
Link to Main Page

---

Laura Deni

For the snail mail address, please E-mail your request.